Packages of containers

ABSTRACT

A package consisting of a carrier and a plurality of containers, each container having a top closed into the form of a flat strip having one or more downwardly facing shoulders, the carrier being of resilient sheet material in which are slits or slots, each container lying in a respective slit or slot with the top of that container above the carrier and the remainder of the container below the carrier, and the proportions of the carrier and the containers being such that the entire package can be raised by lifting the carrier, whereupon the weight of each container is transmitted to the carrier by the shoulder or shoulders of the flat strip of that container.

United States Patent Day Aug. 19, 1975 [54] PACKAGES OF CONTAINERS2,710,219 6/1955 Zalkind 294/872 2,822,208 2/1958 Then 294/872 [75]Inventor: Robert H. Day, Bracknell, England 3015901 H1962 Store, I I D/312 73 Assigneez Illinois Tool Works Inc" Chicago, 3,044,230 7/1962Fisher 294/872 111. Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. [22] Flled'1974 Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert W. Beart; Edward [2]] App]. No.:438,104 L. Benno [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACTFell 2, 1973 United Kingdom 5396/73 A package consisting of a carrierand a plurality of containers, each container having a top closed intothe [52] U.S. Cl. 206/431; 206/153; 224/ AA; f f a fl t strip h i one ormore downwardly 229/52 A; 294/87-2 facing shoulders, the carrier beingof resilient sheet 1111- 365]) 71/003 BD 75/00; material in which areslits or slots, each container B65D /62 lying in a respective slit orslot with the top of that [581 new of Search 206/431 427, containerabove the carrier and the remainder of the 206/466 153; 294/872, 3 1224/45 container below the carrier, and the proportions of the AA;229/52 A; 40/312 carrier and the containers being such that the entirepackage can be raised by lifting the carrier, where- 1 References Cltedupon the weight of each container is transmitted to UNITED STATESPATENTS the carrier by the shoulder or shoulders of the flat 2,030.9962/1936 Lustig 206/482 Strip of that Container- 2.514 858 7/1950Grz\y..... 294/872 2650,128 8/1953 Fai1or.... 294/872 1 Clam, 12 DrawmgFgures 1680038 6/1954 Gray v. 294/872 PATENT AUG 1 9 1975 PATENTED AUG 19 I975 SLLZT 3 U? 5 PATENTEU AUG 1 91975 saw u 0F 5 PA TENTH] AUG I 9I975 SHEET 5 BF 1 PACKAGESQF CONTAINERS. v

This invention concerns packages of containers/the containers being ofthe kind which have an upper end closed into the form of a flat strip.Typical examples are cartons for milk, made of waxed paper.

According to this invention a package consists of sev eral containers ofthis kind, assembled with a carrier of resilient sheet material in whichare slits or slots, the upper end of each container passing through arespective slit or slot, and being gripped beneath its extremities orsides or both by the material of .the carrier.

The principal demand is .for packages in which the number of containersis six, in two parallel rows of three. Such packages are known assix-packs". The present invention will be described primarily inrelation to six-packs, but it can be applied to packages of othernumbers, the carrier being made of appropriate size and with anappropriate number of slits or slots.

The accompanying drawings show examples of packages embodying thepresent invention, and methods of assembly. In these drawings:

FIG. I is a plan of a first carrier;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an assembling machine;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled package, when standing on aflat surface;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the same package when lifted;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a second container;

FIG. 7 shows a slight modification of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a plan of a second carrier;

FIG. 9 is an end elevation of a second package, assembled from thecarrier shown in FIG. 8 and containers as shown in FIG. 6, standing on aflat surface;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are a side elevation and end elevation of this packagebeing lifted by hand; and

FIG. 12 shows a third package being lifted.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the containers 2 are milkcontainers of one Imperial pint capacity (568cc), having a body which isof uniform square horizontal section, and somewhat taller than it iswide, with a gable-shaped top, along the ridge of which is anupwardly-projecting flat strip 4 formed by thicknesses of the materialsecured together as a closure. In this example the length of the strip 4is slightly greater than the width of the container 2, so that eachextremity of the strip forms a slightly overhanging ear 5.

The carrier, shown in FIG. I, is made of a sheet of polyethylene havinga thickness of 0.020 ins (0.5 1 mm). In the carrier there are six slits6, which are intended to receive the strip 4 of a respective container.The carriers are initially made as a continuous strip, joined togetherby necks 8, which are cut through during assembly. as described below.The slits 6 extend in two lines of three, parallel to the length of thestrip. There are two holes 10 which enable a users fingers to beinserted to grasp a central portion 12 serving as a handle. There arealso holes 14 which serve to define the necks 8. The necks are weakenedby short transverse slots 16.

In the machine shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, containers 2 are carried fromright to left in two lines side by side, with their strips 4 alignedwith the direction of travel.

, ,2 The containers are located longitudinally by flanges l8 andstanding up from links of the conveyor.

A' strip of carriers. ,is supplied on "a reel 22, and is drawn offthrough the nip between a driving roller 24 and an assembly roller 26,being guided into the nip by a trough 28. On the peripheryof theassembly roller 26 there are pins (not shown) which engage with theholes 10 and 14 so as to establish the correct circumferential positionof each carrier. The rotation of the assembly with the containers aftertravelling through 180 around the circumference of the roller 26.

On the circumference of the roller 26 there is also a transverse knifeblade 32 which cooperates with the taller flanges 20 on the conveyor tocut through the necks 8 between the carriers, so that individualsixpacks 34 move away to the left. I

In the example shown, the containers have bodies which are square inplan, but the invention is applicable to containers of other shapes, forexample those which are circular or hexagonal in plan, and those whichhave slightly tapering side walls.

In the example shown, the slits 6 are truly slits, that is to say nomaterial is removed from the carrier when they are formed, except thatsmall holes 36 are made at each end of each slit, to provide resistanceto tearing. Alternatively, a finite width of material may be removed soas to form a slot. The choice between a slit or a slot is largelydetermined by the nature of the closure of the container. In somecontainers the thickness of the strip 4 is made up solely of layers ofthe material of the container, whereas in other containers a clip isapplied, which increases the thickness.

In the example shown, the ends of the strip 4 constitute ears, and thecarrier requires to be longitudinally locally stretched in order to passdownwards into an assembled condition. The relative speeds of theconveyor and the assembly roller 26 can be adjusted to assist thisstretching action.

As an alternative to ears, the strips may have a length equal to thewidth of the containers, small nicks or notches being formed below eachextremity of a strip, as shown at 44 in FIG. 6. These nicks can be cutby a piece of equipment added to the assembling machine, as indicated at46 in FIG. 7. This equipment can consist of a mechanically operatedknife and opposing anvil, either reciprocating, or carried by drumsrotating on vertical axes, synchronised with the travel of thecontainers.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show another package, in which there are four containers,and the handle is a strip 48 extending in a direction parallel to theslits or slots 50. FIG. 9 shows the package standing on a flat surface,and FIGS. I0 and 11 show the configuration assumed by the package whenthe handle is lifted by three fingers of a persons hand 52.

FIG. 12 shows a third package of six containers, again with longitudinalhandles 48a, illustrating that a package need not be carried in asymmetrical manner.

Preferably, as shown, the spacing of the slits or slots 6 or 50 on thecarrier, as seen in plan, both longitudinally and transversely, is suchthat, when a package is stood on a flat surface as shown in FIGS. 4 and9, the containers are not held closely together, but have slight gaps40, 42 or 54 between them. This facilitates refrigeration. A furtherconsideration is that the longitudinal sembled with the containers, thecarrier is flat, and

therefore the two rows of containers on a conveyor should be spacedapart a greater distance than the spacing 40 or 54 shown in FIGS. 4 and9.

It is not essential for the slits or slots to run longitudinally, butthis is the most convenient arrangement for assembly.

Polyethylene, already mentioned, is a preferred material for carriers,but other resilient plastics materials can be used, for example ABS orPVC, and a suitable grade of rubber could also be used.

Where the strip along the ridge of a container is thicker on its upperpart than immediately below, as is the case when a clip is present, thenit may be sufficient for the carrier to engage beneath the sides of thestrip. Again the carrier may engage beneath the sides and the ends ofthe strip.

1 claim:

1. A package comprising a carrier and a plurality of pairs ofcontainers, each of said containers having a generally gable-shaped topportion and a substantially flat strip of material extending upwardlyfrom the apex of said gable-shaped top portion, each end of each flatstrip of each of said containers being formed to include a shoulderedportion, said carrier comprising a strip of resilient sheet materialhaving a plurality of pairs of slits equal in number to the number ofpairs of said containers and each of said slits having a length lessthan the maximum length of said flat strip of each of said containers,each pair of slits disposed transversely of said carrier strip with eachslit positioned parallel and adjacent to one longitudinal marginal edgeof said carrier strip, the spacing between the slits of each pair ofslits being greater than the maximum width of one of said containersmeasured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said flat stripthereof, each of said flat strips disposed through one of said slitswith the shouldered portions of said flat strip on the upper side ofsaid carrier strip, and apertures forming handle means in said carrierstrip between said slits.

1. A package comprising a carrier and a plurality of pairs ofcontainers, each of said containers having a generally gableshaped topportion and a substantially flat strip of material extending upwardlyfrom the apex of said gable-shaped top portion, each end of each flatstrip of each of said containers being formed to include a shoulderedportion, said carrier comprising a strip of resilient sheet materialhaving a plurality of pairs of slits equal in number to the number ofpairs of said containers and each of said slits having a length lessthan the maximum length of said flat strip of each of said containers,each pair of slits disposed transversely of said carrier strip with eachslit positioned parallel and adjacent to one longitudinal marginal edgeof said carrier strip, the spacing between the slits of each pair ofslits being greater than the maximum width of one of said containersmeasured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said flat stripthereof, each of said flat strips disposed through one of said slitswith the shouldered portions of said flat strip on the upper side ofsaid carrier strip, and apertures forming handle means in said carrierstrip between said slits.